LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas voters have five ballot issues to consider this Election Day: two high-profile issues that have been the subject of court battles and three referred to the people by the Legislature.
Recent decisions by the state Supreme Court left in place questions on whether Arkansas should raise the state's minimum wage from $6.25 and $8.50 and allow liquor sales statewide.
The three others ask voters to give lawmakers veto power over agencies within the executive branch, make it harder for the public to put issues on the ballot and extend term limits in exchange for tougher ethics guidelines.
Here's a closer look at those measures:
ISSUE 1: AGENCY RULES
Legislators want the authority for their committees to have veto power over rules approved by state agencies within the executive branch. Supporters say legislators need to ensure agencies are following lawmakers' intent. Opponents say the change would violate the separation between the executive and legislative branches of government.
Gov. Mike Beebe told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last week, "If the Legislature wants to be the governor, they need to run for governor."
ISSUE 2: INITIATED ACTS
Under current Arkansas law, petition-gatherers hoping to place an issue on the ballot must give the state a certain number of signatures by a deadline. If they do, they are given an extra 30 days to collect more in case any from the initial set are found to be invalid.
A proposal from legislators would require that at least 75 percent of the initial set of signatures be valid for an extension to be given.
Supporters say the change is needed to prevent groups from throwing together names just to qualify for extra time. Opponents said the law, as it stands now, gives people a good opportunity to influence government and shouldn't be changed.
The number of signatures required is based on a percentage of the number of votes cast in the most-recent gubernatorial election.
ISSUE 3: ETHICS AND TERM LIMITS
Arkansas voters approved term limits in 1993, restricting lawmakers to three two-year terms in the state House and two four-year terms in the state Senate.
Voters are being asked to let legislators stay in office 16 years in either the House or Senate, or a combination of both. In return, lobbyists couldn't give gifts to lawmakers, a commission would set salaries and expense policies and retiring lawmakers would have to wait two years before working as a lobbyist.
Campaign contributions from corporations would also be banned.